Drainage system.



J. A. HARMAN.

DRAINAGE S M.

APPLICATION FILED .I. 1914.

1,23%,U29a Patented July 3, 1917.

\ 2 SHEETSSHEET I- J. A. HARMAN.

DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MN. I. 1914.

,OQL, h Patented July 3, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- IT E PAEN FIQE.

JACOB A. HARMAN, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HARMAN ENGINEERING 00., OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

drainage systems, and particularly to meehanism for priming such a system preliminary to the pumping operation.

The principal object is the provision of means whereby the system may be primed properly andthe flow of the water started in the proper direction, notwithstanding considerable difference in level and pressure between the Water in the river or other place of discharge and the water in the district or other place of supply.

Another object is the provision of connections from the exhaust or vacuum pump to the suction side of the water pump and also connections to the discharge pipe from said water pump with valves in said connections whereby when there is a diiference in level and pressure between the water on the opposite sides of the levee, the valves may be controlled so that the operation of the exhaust or vacuum pump will prime the system by creating a vacuum in the system so that the pressure of the water outside of the suction and discharge pipes will force the water thereinto until it reaches the pump impeller, the flow being started in the right direction for discharge.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the con-' struction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and then sought to be defined in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and which show for illustrative purposes a preferred embodiment of my invention, it being understood however that various changes may be made in practice within the scope of the claims without digressing from my inventive idea.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows a side view of the water pump, a portion of the discharge pipe, and the connections from the exhaust or vacuum P P- Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 191?.

Application filed. January 7. 1314. Serial N 0. 810,761.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatical view of a drainage system utilizing my invention.

Like characters of reference indicate cor- .responding parts throughout the figures.

In systems of this character it is custom ary to start the pumping operation by exhausting the air in the system so that the pressure of the water in the district and in the river will fill the system with water and when the pump is operated a flow of water will be started from the district into the river. It has been found by experience that should the level of the water on the river side of the system be considerably higher than the level of the water on the district side of the system, the discharge pipe will fill with water first, due to the difference in pressure, and a flow of water inthe reverse direction will be started preventing the proper pump operation and tending to cause the pump impeller to rotate backward as a water-wheel. This necessarily interferes with the starting of the pumping operation and it is to prevent this condition of affairs that this invention was evolved.

I provide a connection from the vacuum pump to the discharge pipe of the system and a connection from the vacuum pump to the suction side of the system with suitable valves for controlling these pipes. Now then, when the water in the river is considerably higher than the water in the district, the motor is started to operate the pump impeller and the valves in the pipes conneeting the vacuum pump with the system are adjusted so that the air will be ex hausted through the connection with the suction side of the system only. In this manner should the water from the river flow back through the discharge pipe until it reaches the pump impeller, the rotation of the latter will hold that water back until the water from the district is drawn up to the pump impeller which then takes hold of the water from the district and discharges it through the discharge pipe. Should, however, the water in the river be low, the vacuum pump is started first so as to fill the system with water from the district side and the river side and establish the vacuum in the system and then the motor is started to operate the pump impeller. .This method works satisfactorily under these conditions for the reason that the water from the dis-- trict has to be lifted a shorter distance until exhaust or vacuum pump,

a it reaches the pump impeller than the water from the river side.

Referring to the drawings, and to Fig. 3 in particular, the number 1 designates the levee having the river 2 on one side, and the drainage district 3 on the other side. 4 is the pump of the system, shown as acentrifugal pump merely for the purpose of illustrative disclosure and having the discharge pipe 5 discharging into the river and the suction pipe 6 communicating with the water in the drainage district. 7 designates the exhaust or vacuum pump having connections with the discharge and suction pipes.

These connections are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3, and more in detail in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, to which attention is now directed. The pipe 8 is the main pipe leading from the exhaust or vacuum pump 7 to the pipe length 9, which has the pipe 10 connecting with the suction side of the pump and also connects with the pipe 11, which communicates with the discharge pipe of the system. Valves 8', 10 and 11 are provided in the correspondingly designated pipes. The short pipe length 12 is in communication with the pipe 8 having the valve 12' therein. The valves 11 and 12 are shown provided with operating handles whereby they may be opened or closed from a distance.

If for any reason the pump stops, water may siphon back throu h the system from the river into the distrlct, and to prevent this, valve 12' is opened, breaking the vacuum in the system and obviating the possibility of this siphoning action happening. What I claim is 1. In a pumping system including a pump, a suction pipe, a discharge pipe, an

having connections with said suction pipe and said discharge pipe, and valves for controlling said connectlons.

2. In a pumping system including a pump, a suction pipe, a discharge pipe, an exhaust or vacuum pump, having connect ons with said suction pipe' and discharge pipe, valves for controlling said connections, and an additional valve for breaking the vacuum in said system.

3. In a drainage pumping system, and in combination, a pump for drawing the water from the district side of the levee and forcing it into the river on the discharge side of the levee, a suction pipe and a discharge pipe, an exhaust or vacuum pump, a pipe from said exhaust or Vacuum pump having branches communicating with the highest part of said discharge pipe and with the suction side of the pump, valves in said branches so that when there is a difference in level and pressure in the water on the opposite sides of the levee the valves may be controlled so that the operation of the exhaust or vacuum pump will properly prime the system.

4. In a drainage pumping system, and in combination, a pump for drawing the water from the district side of the levee and forcing it into the river on the discharge side of the levee, a suction pipe and a discharge pipe, an exhaust or vacuum pump, valved connections between said exhaust or vacuum pump and said discharge pipe, valved con nections between said exhaust or vacuum pump and said suction pipe, so that when there is a difference in level and pressure in the water on the opposite sides of the levee the valves may be controlled so that the operation of the exhaust or vacuum pump will properly prime the system, and an additional valve for breaking the vacuum in said system.

5. In a drainage pumping system, and in combination, a pump for drawing the water from the district side of the levee and forcing it into the river on the discharge side of the levee, a suction pipe and a discharge pipe, an exhaust or vacuum pump, valved connections between said exhaust or vacuum pump and said discharge pipe, valved connections between said exhaust or vacuum pump and said suction pipe so that when there is a difference in level and pressure in the water on'the opposite sides of the levee the valves may be controlled so that the, operation of the exhaust or vacuum pump will properly prime the system.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB A. I-IARMAN. Witnesses:

EDWARD N. MILLER, HOWARD C. HAUNGS. 

